It Was You
by Skywa1ker
Summary: Thousands of years ago, mankind with Pokémon created three powerful objects with the hope to better the world they lived in. The three objects lay dormant for unknown reasons...until a human's greed causes the trio's revelation and gradual terror, and Ash Ketchum somehow gets tangled into it.
1. Prologue

**It Was You**

Basically, it's just an Adventure fic. It may look a little grim in the first chapter but it won't be all the same through till the end. Because this chapter is just a prologue.

I planned the events all through till the end of the whole story. It will get spicy, I mean really really good. It'll have stuff like tech, battles and terror and even maybe time travel too. But I'm gonna try and make everything look as natural and logical as possible.

It's an Ambitious project. Well, that's what I think.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

* * *

Forty Kilometers from my new home and several kilometers off shore Kanto, my ship stopped in the dark of the night. It had only two person's on board. The rest of them...well, I'll get to them later. The sole sailors were the Captain and I. It' was my first real-time diving expedition. A deadly one at that.

Why did I choose a night for a dive? and Why did I want to dive at all?

Well, if considered the depth I was to dive, it wouldn't make a difference at what time I dived. It was always dark down there anyway. I was near the southern end of the world where the sky looked like it was late evening. Sun looked less brighter than the moon without it's shine. I was dim in this part of the planet all the time.

By working in the dark, in a way, I was saving myself from the wild world that it was now on the outside.

It wasn't that I feared for my life. Because, I had nothing to worry about...anymore. I had nothing left, except for my Anabel, and she had nothing left except me. But, nothing in the world was left for both of us to live for.

From my breast pocket I pulled out a picture. A small instant photo, clicked by Pikachu when Anabel and I were splash fighting in the sea in one of our training sessions. I loved it.

The captain looked at me, "Admiral we're here."

His call brought me back to my senses and took my concentration off the photograph. I nodded. Avoiding his attempt to eye contact.

Wrapping the photo hastily in its transparent cover. I picked up my diving equipment and walked to the lift that would take me to the deck.

"Magma, Take position at starboard," he commanded through his transmitter. "Aqua, standby for assist"

I entered the elevator, and before the captain could follow me in, I pressed the button. But, I was too late. The door closed partially before the old man armed it open as if it were just a curtain hung on a door, and stepped in wielding a serious look on his face.

I pressed the button again, with a tinge of embarrassed decorating my cheeks.

The two of us stood in silence as the elevator pulled out from CIC to the deck. The eerie silence was getting on my nerves.

He broke it first.

Slamming me to the elevator wall he barked. The smell of spice emanating from his mouth.

"Admiral, it's suicidal. No man ever managed to dive that deep! Are you out of your mind kid?"

I said nothing.

I had other things in mind. One of which was him calling me admiral and kid simultaneously. What was I, something like 19, or perhaps even less? And he was at least sixty. It seemed funny and senseless all at the same time.

I wasn't that old to be his Admiral and that childish to be a kid.

I overcame my urge to ask about it. If I did, he'd have probably killed me before the sea.

"Ash, are you even listening to me?" He asked gaining his composure.

I could tell he was feeling embarrassed for the outburst, which I noticed from the regret in his eyes, out of the corner of mine.

"Yes captain," I replied in a monotone.

And said nothing else.

I knew the discussion was already over.

He should've better known that I'd dive in anyway.

I checked my contents. An archaic map protected in a waterproof cover, a rugged underwater GPS equipment, and of course the photograph. In my left hand I carried the diving gear that I've always used in my diving sessions with Anabel. She had tailored it just to my size and specifications.

In my right hand was an old looking metallic hilt of a sword. Just a hilt. I stole a look at it just for a moment and tucked it away. It looked both old and contemporary. It was aged but the technology it boasted seemed futuristic.

I wondered how.

The elevator open on the large and flat deck. It lifted us to my side of the makeshift battlefield on the large deck. The same Battlefield I was supposed to use to battle my challengers.

The sea was violent as usual and the semi-night sky as cloudy as ever. A splash of water from a skyrocketing wave hit us both. The captain covered his head in his hood. I didn't care for mine.

But, I knew he enjoyed the as much as a Wailmer would have. He was just trying to wordlessly emphasize the roughness of the sea, and perhaps stop me from diving.

He failed.

I was supposed to get into an ally submarine, which would take me to the depth of the ocean where I'd get out of it and swim further deep in a special pressure suit.

"The magma sub is waiting for you, three hundred meters below hull depth," he said.

I set my watch's timer and got ready catch my sub.

"Good Luck," he muttered in a serious tone.

"Thank you," I said sincerely, taking a small glimpse of the old man.

He muttered something into his walkie talkie….

and then…..I jumped.

* * *

I rested in the airlock of the sub as the water was expelled out, and waited for compartment to repressurize with oxygen. I removed my auxiliary support as the alarm beeped green.

Tabitha, opened the hatch and called me in. I could see the anxiousness in his face, but I knew that anxiousness he held was not for me. He cared the least for me. Considering, that I was the cause for his arrest several years ago in Hoenn. I could understand his predicament.

In was matter of seconds before I was walking beside towards the Kitchen of the sub.

I wondered the cause for his anxiousness. The grunt was always the coolest of the bunch. I was too odd. I shook the thought off my head as I had better priorities.

Both of us sat at a table. A small shake of the sub jolted me back to my senses, and made me concentrate on the reality.

I watched as a magma grunt brought us both some food in a tray. I wasn't mouthwatering, as food didn't interest me as much as it did before.

I never knew why.

"I can see that you've been starving." he said coolly. He paused, then his voice stuttered and face contorted. "How's everything…back up there….Ketchum?"

I didn't look at him.

"You should know." I said in a calm and emotionless tone. I didn't want my features to give away the answer.

He looked displeased.

"Excuse me Captain." Sarcasm too evident in his voice. "With all the communications cut, the only way I could track the events was through the old man up there on that boat," he said pointing up to the ceiling above us. I guess he was referring to the Captain.

"Hey, that's not a boat. It's my ship!" I protested lightly.

He snorted.

"…and what if I told Drake what you called him, I can't imagine what he'd do to you. You know….his finger's always on a depth charge up there."

His eyes widened.

"Forget about it, I said nothing." He looked away and folded his arms, resuming his careless posture.

I felt a bit comfortable.

He looked at me, his eyes pleading an answer. I knew he was restless despite his callous pretense. It's been almost four years since his crew and him went back to see their families, after their arrest by Hoenn police.

They were officially under arrest, still available to their family members behind the bars. But, the government saw a huge wastage of skill and so employed them for their own work.

They had to accept, else they'd suicide the whole liability of magma and aqua.

After Maxie, the Team Magma leader's death, Tabitha was head of the group. He seemed to get softer and humanly after their defeat in Hoenn and betrayal by their master.

He still liked working in the submarine, but he had a mom and a dad too. He hadn't talked to them since the…slavery.

I wouldn't call it slavery as he was still getting paid in fat pay cheques. More than what I'd get paid once my carrier in Battle Frontier would begin.

I looked at him sympathetically, and said. "I know how desperate you're to know what's been going on up there Tabitha…" I took a small pause and sighed, "But as much as I want to tell you. I can't."

"It's that Drake. Isn't it!" He growled.

I nodded and looked at him consolingly. But, his dark angry looks showed too much anguish in them.

His anger wasn't good for him, his crew or us. "He does that just for your good. He doesn't want you to worry too much." I looked down.

"Is it _that_ grim?"

I ignored his question. Answering that question would do no good. "He doesn't want you to worry and needs you to do your work perfectly. He needs you"

Sensing the uselessness of our talk he got up and left.

He then stopped at the door and looked at me.

"Ketchum….." He looked at me and took a good pause to make sure I was looking at him in to his eyes, "My team and I are looking up to you. We know what you can do….you are our hope." He turned away.

"We'll reach the maximum depth in a few hours," he said turning back to me, "you can have a nap, freshen up and eat if you want. You'll be informed fifteen minutes before you can dive."

He then slammed the door behind and left. I sighed at the hamburger and left for the washroom.

* * *

I washed my face for the umpteenth time. I didn't look as old as I perceived of myself to be. My face was still young and I had that childish look upon it.

I smiled and remembered how she looked at me and smile all the time.

"Oh Anabel…"

I desperately wanted to talk to her. It's been a week since I left her in the chaos back in Kanto. What if she's been killed already?

No she can't be. She's too good for that.

I never knew I held such an obsession for a girl…It felt really strange. I blame her for that. She just….she just pulled me in her feelings.

Love? That's a first timer too. She said I was dense, and I never knew what she meant when she said that.

It was a typical Magma wash room. Fire type Pokémon posters everywhere and naked girls plastered here and there. Men and women shared same was rooms.

How ruffian was that?

Looking away from all the bachelorish decorations, I left the bath room and entered a small private compartment that once belonged to Maxie, the dead ex-leader.

It was now Tabitha's and he let me use it. I jumped on the bed and fell with my arms open. I looked at the metallic ceiling.

My eyes fell on a picture frame that lay beside Tabitha's bed. I looked at it strangely for a moment and picked it for a closer look.

The look on his face in the picture was completely different from what he showed at work. He looked really happy in Hawaiian attire with his hand around someone, who seemed old enough to be his mother. She probably was. She looked really happy with him.

Beside his was his father who guised his features. Holding on to his father was another happy looking girl of his age who looked ecstatic with her arms around her father. My first look of that girl's face widened my eyes and made me shift in bed with shock.

I knew who she was. I smirked in realization and placed the photo frame back in its place.

I looked back at the grey ceiling and analyzed the past few months. My own memories took the liberty to soothe my anguish.

I remembered how it began.

It all began a year ago, the same time when I was on the verge of completing my training period as a battle frontier. Brandon was a good teacher, so was Anabel. I had to train under both of them.

I lost to both of them in the first attempts when I challenged brains. It was the reason I was cited by Scott.

I'd have just chosen Anabel over everyone if given the chance...for abstract reasons of course. I was really dense then to realize my feelings for her.

Brandon was just too rough. But, he taught me a lot, and now I knew that the decision they made was good after all. They trained me together.

I remembered the last few months of our training….

* * *

**A/N-**

(Clearing my throat)….well that was that. The prologue goes there.

I'm determined to post every week end. At least I hope to. I've learnt from my past experience that posting quick would just compromise the quality. Not that am being big headed about my work, it's for you to decide about my writing.

As this is my latest attempt at writing after several months, tell me about a few things

1. How was my grammar and spelling? I know I suck at that.

2. Are the intention of my expressions all that understandably or am I underperforming in expressing the scenes.

3. and lastly, would you like the descriptions to be more vivid than they really are. As a reader myself I always like to be in the scenes when they happen and feel them first hand.

Leave a review. I'd appreciate it and get motivated all the same.

Signing Off

**Skywa1ker**


	2. My Mighty Canine

**My Mighty Canine**

* * *

**Vegeta**: Ah, so the blabberman is back.

**Skywa1ker**: Don't call me that vegetable man.

(vegeta growls and aims a final flash at me)

(I pull out my blue light saber)

**Vegeta**: You think that light stick of yours can stop me?

**Skywa1ker**: Try me…

(Vegeta calms down)

**Vegeta**: Oh, come on! People are waiting for the chapter you know.

(I pull back my light saber)

**Skywa1ker**: Oh, here's the next chapter. I apologize. I'm late…

**Vegeta**: …as usual.

**Skywa1ker**: Gimme a break Vegeta! I have a life too you know. (Turn to readers) The last chapter was a prologue. This is a full-fledged chapter. It's actually one or one and a half years before the prologue. Happy reading.

(Vegeta snatches the script and reads it)

**Vegeta**: This chapter looks similar to some of the other ability shipping stories in the fan fiction. Stealing ideas again?

**Skywa1ker**: No! It isn't similar to any other stories.

**Vegeta**: I can see Ketchum going to train under that Lavender obsessed girl.

**Skywa1ker**: LOL! You need to get glasses and read the whole thing. That idea was _borrowed, _but, his training will not be a part of the story….it will be skipped, unless the readers protest of course…NOW THE STORY VEGETA!

* * *

It was a nice evening. The sun, hidden behind the dark and unreliable cloud cover, shone out orange red light over the pleasant grassy terrain. The grass swayed rhythmically under the evening wind.

Trekking through the tall grass at the end of the forest I was en route to Vermilion City. The forest wasn't as hostile as I expected it to be. Pikachu and I passed through it rather comfortably…or maybe it was the excitement in the air about the future that led to my unwariness.

The sky was darkening and I knew I had to camp out…again. Vermilion was quite a bit away for a night walk. I wouldn't use my Pokémon as transport for some reason. Anyway, my only flying type on whom I could fly on was sweating away in Charisific valley.

Using my not-so-good skills of camping, that I've acquired through my years of travelling, I cleared a zone of the low grass with my handy knife and pitched up an ill built tent in the midst of the clearing. The work, as expected, was shabby as I built it all by myself.

Well…Pikachu was there too, but he was too small for the poles and the fabric.

Now that I talk about him, he even seemed to lose his natural speed and enthusiasm for things these days. He wouldn't even jump into battles as he usually did years ago. Of course he'd go battling when I asked him to, and fight exceptionally well, crushing the opponents like it was nothing. But, that was all power and less speed these days.

Unlike him Charizard and Sceptile have developed quite a lot to become all rounders of the bunch. Sceptile was the fastest and Charizard was in his own league when it came to hardcore aerial battles.

I never could understood what was changing in Pikachu and I never even wanted to.

Cuz…Pikachu is my best buddy and nothing will happen to him…I'm sure.

In the midst of my thoughts Pikachu appeared from the dark with a pail of water that he must've collected from a stream nearby. That's what I liked in him. He was always helpful and cooperative.

"Aww, Pikachu, thanks for the water…" I said.

"Pi"

He exclaimed happily raising his paws.

"But, you know, this small pail of water is not enough…and I needed some firewood too. We could've gone together you know…" I looked at him sympathetically.

"Peekaa" The electric type's ears drooped. I mentally slapped myself.

I got up, "Don't worry buddy," I said, picking him up and placing him on my shoulder. He jumped from my shoulder onto my head and rested on my cap.

I then pulled out a poke ball and let out Sceptile, who materialized in the tall grass. He pulled a twig from out of nowhere and plugged it in his mouth. The grass type sped off to collect some firewood. Pikachu led me to the stream so that we could get more water.

The night was spent peacefully with some rough dinner that I cooked looking up from one of Brock's top secret recipes. Unfortunately his _top secret _recipe got too complex for my intellect.

Sceptile was kind enough to share with us some of the berries he had collected for himself, and that eased our appetite. Under his guard the two us lay peacefully under the moonlight for some early sleep so that we'd reach our destination my tomorrow noon.

I was flat out near the broken tree trunk near my tent and Pikachu was right upon chest sleeping peacefully. His ears would occasionally twitch on my chest and send tickles down my torso making me shiver for a second. He wound occasionally chuckle in his sleep making me wonder what he dreamt about.

It was probably my heartbeat that he heard from upon my chest that made him chuckle.

Sometimes, I wonder about the relationship between us. It started out like a normal one that would exist between a kid and his new Pokémon; loving and caring for each other. It _should've_ grown into a professional trainer and highly evolved Pokémon kind of relationship that I see in our age group these days.

But, in our case it seemed quite different. I stilled loved him like I did when I was younger. The kind of serious Pokémon-trainer comandeership didn't seem to be significant between us. This thought of mine was strengthened time and again by his actions such as refusing to fight against Misty, and occasionally bypass of my orders, and all I thought was for the greater good.

It was kind of…different, the relationship between us.

Perhaps, Pikachu's living out of poke ball with me and the gang had something to do with it. Figures…

My thoughts soon faded away for the lack of ideas, and soon from the cool breeze I drifted off…into a deep slumber, ignoring the thought of getting back into my tent.

* * *

Excellent day it was the next. I wandered aimlessly through the city's streets admiring the merchandise through the glass windows of the stores. I passed through several confectionaries littered with small kids, whom I didn't consider myself being one of anymore. I was a grown up and I thought that about myself very often.

But, not many of my close friends seemed to recognize that….**at all.**

Except my mom of course. She'd be like; _oh! My baby is all grown up, _But she'd only say that when I talked to girl. It felt soo stupid.

There were then the malls with mannequins adorn with rather fashionable clothing. My wallet then pushed me further up the street and away from the store instructing my mind to ignore the thought of buying new set of clothes.

From the looks of me I knew I needed one set of clothes.

The next building was the huge booby trapped Vermilion gym, which reminded me of my encounters with lieutenant Surge. The Vermilion City Gym leader, with his naïve evolution theory, had earlier in our journey made quite an impact on Pikachu, strengthening the electric type's stance against evolving.

Which, of course I completely supported.

I'd rather lose battles and forget my goal of becoming a Pokémon master than change the feelings that our relationship brought between us. The gym wasn't open yet, it was too early in the morning. I looked away from the building stern heartedly and walked further up the street.

Soon the footpath ended and I reached a crossroad, offside of which I was to visit a Pokémon center and rest my poor grass type Sceptile after his night duty. I sighed as the traffic finally acknowledged my presence and let me cross the road. I finally reached the Pokémon center.

The in charge Nurse Joy seemed to possess eidetic memory. She called me by my name upon the first glimpse. I should've done something spectacular in the past in this city for my familiarity with her. I don't remember though. I smiled at her and greeted her back.

"I'd like to get my Pokémon healed please." I asked pulling out a poke ball.

"That's what we're here for." She smiled.

Her Chansey took Sceptile's poke ball, and Pikachu just followed the egg Pokémon.

Giving Sceptile's poke ball and Pikachu to Joy, I wandered off to ease my nauseous stomach with a quick walk.

I was a few blocks away from the Pokémon center when I remembered something. Pulling out a visiting card form my wallet I looked around….

…where were the people when you needed them?

"Mister!...Hey!" I called out for the sole walker on the footpath.

Stopping in his tracks he looked at me warily.

"What do you want?"

"Mmm, where can I find this address?" I asked showing him the Vising Card.

He looked at the card for a moment and smiled. "So…you're a trainer?...I suppose…"

I nodded confusedly, which he ignored. He then patted on my back, "I hope you're not going to challenge the Battle Frontier kid…" he said, his tone more of more mock than before.

"Hmm...why not?"

He then continued his _talk…_

"The Battle Frontier is rough challenge…ya need to be a tough cookie. The only trainer who was able to conquer the challenge was a kid named Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

I grimaced at the '_kid_' word. But inwardly I was grinning, getting to know my popularity first hand.

"...and word of mouth is that he even backed off from becoming a frontier brain because he was scared!" He said with an expression of exclamation painted on his face.

I wanted to punch him in the gut. But he looked too old to punch in. I'll have to have a little talk with Scott…some little _serious _talk.

"…and for someone as puny as you, I don't think you could even beat Lieutenant Surge," He said.

I rolled my eyes. Pikachu looked disbelievingly at him.

"It's the largest building at the corner around the mall."

Ah, finally something useful, at last.

I started walking away from him, "Hey what's your name?" He asked.

"Ash Ketchum, from….Pallet Town," I said with a dramatic pause before my place's name.

He looked like he had a heart attack. I was like: _take that you big buff, _inwardly of course, but on the outside I walked off like It was nothing. You should've seen the look on his face.

* * *

I stared wide eyed at the building that stood in front me. It was huge, huge indeed. I was ushered in by the security guard. He checked my pokedex ID and registered my entry. Then, though his intercom, he acknowledged the other party of my presence.

Walking on the lawn towards the building, I found myself face to face with a large teak wood door. It mysteriously opened up like in those horror movies. It just didn't creak, so I knew everything was cool.

As instructed by the guard I searched for door number 014. I creaked open the door and found three people conversing something seriously. Reluctant to interrupt a conversation I stayed outside. Slung to a wall I soon grew bored after a few minutes. I should've brought Pikachu with me or at least waited for him to heal.

Feeling the boredom get the best of me I stood up straight and walked to the door. With my ear up close to the door gap I tried to listen in to the conversation and recognize the voices in the room.

For a few seconds all I could hear was Scott talking seriously and anxiously. Well, _he_ talked for most of the time. The other two were just occasional in their speech and apparently seemed to more decency and honor. Or were they just uninterested.

Besides Scott's voice there was woman's voice too, and the serious voice of someone whom I really knew. My eyes lit up when I actually recognized who that other man's voice was.

"Lance," I screamed slamming the door open. His eye brows rose up in pleasant surprise.

"See, who's here…our newest frontier brain," he said smiling.

He got up when I reached him and held a hand out. I took it both joyously and a little embarrassed. Joy for I looked up to him as my idol. I met him after a long time. He was our Champion, and then a little embarrassment for it was not every day that you get to shake hands with a champion.

Shaking his hand I looked at the other silent conversationalist. I recognized the other woman as Cynthia, the champion of…Sinnoh. She smiled and nodded at me.

"Did I interrupt something important?" I asked looking at trio.

It wasn't every day that Champions from places almost on the opposite sides of the planet met with the director of the Battle Frontier.

"Oh! It was nothing," said lance causing Scott to visibly show his anger with a grunt.

He obviously wasn't happy by the way Lance just kicked aside their so called '_conversation'_. Cynthia just giggled at the Hawaiian dressed man's frustrated antics.

"You still…aren't serious about this, are you?," Scott said directed at Lance.

Lance shrugged, "Whatever Scott. We champions are not much into probing and manipulating of situations, that's for you guys to do. We just deal the things directly. If you say danger is around the corner, then let it turn around it. Me and my Dragonite are ready to defend our regions."

Lance started walking out of the room.

"But…"

"Listen Scott, this is the government. We aren't allowed to act without orders. Bring us some proofs if you wanna see some action from our side." He said in firm but soft tone.

And the, he walked off.

Cynthia looked at the man sympathetically. "Scott. If I were the head of the G-Men. Probably, I'd have changed how things worked. Still, thanks for the warning" Cynthia said. She then shook Scott's hand. "You have the fullest of my personal assistance."

Scott grinned weakly, "At least you understand."

She too then walked off the room leaving a disheartened Scott behind.

"What was all that about…" I said in a astonished tone.

"All in good time Kid….all in good time."

"Hey, I'm not!..a kid…!" I protested in vain.

* * *

Scott walked me outside the room. We walked past several other rooms in the corridor. There were rooms on either side of the path. A few of them had name plates on. One of them said, 'Noland' and the other 'Brandon'. There was a room each one of the seven Brains and one for Scott himself.

He led me to a room that said, 'Ash Ketchum.'

"That'd be yours"

I nodded. We walked further down the corridor till its end. The corridor ended to another room facing the whole corridor, the door of which looked like it belonged to a bathroom.

He pushed me in. I never asked for the washroom. I wanted to get on with the task I came for. Anyway, I walked in. It was a normal bathroom, a small one at that. A very small bathroom that could house only one person. The dim florescent light threw the moonlight like glow on the shiny steel plumbing fixtures.

There was a single commode, with a tank type flush behind it. There was a wash basin, and a weird looking mirror hanging over it. I couldn't put my finger on it but something was really spooky about the mirror.

I turned on the tap and washed my face. I didn't feel the necessity to use the toilet. I wiped my face of the water with the towel that hung beside the washbasin and was about to walk out of the toilet when Scott suddenly opened the door from outside and pushed me in.

I fell with my butt on the commode seat. What the hell was he doing? He did know I was in the bathroom! Didn't he? I feared of what was in his mind. Though I didn't knew exactly what.

He then put his left hand on my shoulder looking into my eyes. My body trembled involuntarily under is grip.

"What the hel….."

"Shh…" he said.

His right hand proceeded towards my face. For a moment there I thought he was gonna touch my face. I felt my insides turn grim and my mind shout 'What the hell! What the hell! What the hell!'

Before my senses came back to me and I could comprehend what was actually happening, his hand was past my neck. A screeching sound under my seat made me jump up with a yelp.

"Wha…!"

I sighed. Scott had actually turned on the flush. But why? He then grinned and walked away. I then watched carefully as the balloon like man went for the wash basin. He washed his face and wiped it with the same towel that I had used earlier, and surprisingly dropped it in the washbasin. The commode flush was still on. I thought of turning it off but I was too caught up in the _action._

The towel that he threw in the wash basin had blocked the tap water from passing through the drain hole. The towel was soon wetted completely. Just a second after that a voice came from under my seat from the commode. 'Please show your balls.' The male robotic voice said in a pleasing tone.

"Seriously, balls? What the hell Scott?"

He looked at me devilishly. "Watch carefully."

"Watch your balls?" He laughed it off as a joke. But seriously?

He then turned to the mirror and widened his eyebrows. A red beam came out of the mirror and scanned his eyes. The mirror was actually a retina scanner. The whole excuse for a toilet shook all of a sudden and pulled downwards. The mirror counted 0, -1, -2 till we were -5."

The toilet door opened into a huge hall. The hall looked like a computer room that I saw back in my school during the school days. Except it was bigger. A lot bigger. The whole room hand several desks with laptops and computers and several fax machines, printers and telephone. A huge screen was hung in the middle of the largest of the wall.

"Good morning Scott, Master Ketchum," the same '_show me your balls'_ robotic voice said.

"Good Morning Hector," Scott said looking nowhere.

"Good-morning," I stammered.

"Sooo, What do ya say Ash?" said Scott.

"What is this place?" I said in a paced out tone. The place seemed to make no sense. Why'd Battle Frontier need this kind of hi-tech stuff.

"The whole building is the HQ of the Battle Frontier. The bathroom was a lift. We're five floors below the ground floor. This hall here is the control room for battle operations, CRBO for short, and the voice belongs to the supercomputer that's incharge of the whole building and this room in particular. The supercomputer's name is Hector. In the absence of an operator, Hector coordinates the communication and information exchange between the agents."

"Who?...agents?"

"Agents include people who work in an operation."

"What operation?"

"You ask too many questions Ash. I know that I've raised too many question in your mind tellin you all this Ash, but have some patience. You will understand all these stuff after you've completed your probation."

"What probation?"

Scott sighed. I knew I had to shut my mouth now, and I did. No more questions.

"You know what….let's just call the neighborhood. You will understand everything with time." He then walked to a control panel and pressed a few buttons. The huge screen showed eight partitions and each one called one of the seven brains.

The first to respond was "What the fuck Madison, I told you once and I'm tellin' you again, I absolutely have no time for this shi….oh….it's…yooouu" the last three words were so full of boredom and recklessness that it echoed through the hall.

"It me…" Scott said solemnly. "Good morning Lucy."

"Hello Ash Ketchum, good to see you again," she said after she had finally noticed me.

Then came Noland who was seemingly stuck in something that looked like a huge weird mecha bird. He was stuck in its mouth. Stretching the mecha bird's beak apart he finally managed to pull out his hands. He steadied the screen to face himself, "Hey Scott I'm in bit of a situation here, mind calling me laterr…" his eyes then fell on me. "Never mind, hey Ash wassup?" he said waving his hand from his awkward position in the bird's beak.

"What the hell is that thing?"

"It's a mechanical bird. It looks like an articuno from the sky…but it can carry a cameras and other surveillance equipment. It's like a surveillance bird plane…"

"Cool!" I exclaimed.

In the midst of our conversation, Tucker, Spencer, Greta, Anabel came up on the screen.

My eyes fell on lavender haired girl from Thojo. Unlike the normal times, she was dressed in her casuals. A sweater and some pajamas, lavender of course. She had the same short hair and pleasant looks. She stayed silent and unlike others who looked at Scott, she was staring at me.

"Hey Anabel." I said feeling a little excited seeing her again after a lot of time.

"Hi!" she let out a squeak blushing, as she tried avoid the giggles of the others. I don't know why they were giggling but they stopped suddenly when I looked confusedly at them.

"You know Ash we're here too…" Greta said in somewhat a teasing tone, adding a giggle at the end.

"Yeah, besides your girlfriend that is," Tucker added smirking.

"Girlfriend?" I asked more confused.

"Shut up Tucker," Anabel whispered.

To my confusion the whole group burst out laughing, including Scott and Hector. What the hell? And how can a supercomputer laugh. A.I. or something?

Then a sudden cough caught everyone's attention. Brandon was online.

"Sorry for the late reply," he said in dark tone that showed no trace of backing what he meant. "I was caught up in the storm."

Indeed there was snow everywhere on his cam, it showed on the screen. He was covered in a thick woolen clothing and was sitting inside something that looked like a cave. Behind him was the mouth of cave that clearly showed a raging storm.

"Hey Brandon,…off the grid since a week? What's up? Where in the world are you?" Scott asked.

Brandon grumbled for a minute and vaguely replied, "Somewhere outside Kanto." He then looked at me. "Hello Ash, Good to see you again."

"Hey, Brandon."

Scott cleared his throat. "So, ladies and gentlemen, this meeting is to announce the induction of our newest frontier brain, Ash Ketchum as the eight frontier brain of Kanto."

The group cheered.

"The 1000 dollar question Scott…." Said Tucker in a restless tone.

"Huh? What's the 1000 dollar question?"

Scott giggled and everyone stayed silent as they looked at me.

"So, Ash," Scott spoke looking at me, "You need to train under any one of our brains before you actually become one. So who would it be?"

I was caught off guard. Scott never told me that I'd be training, let alone train under anyone of them. Then again he said some…probation. It must mean training. How can I decide my choice in such a short time?

I looked at each of them. Let's shortlist.

Brandon's out, he'll kill me…literally. Noland is too weird, Greta…six months under her and then it would be twelve months in a hospital, no thank you, Lucy, absurd battling style not even close to mine, and she's impolite. Tucker, I'd be spending much of my time on the stage or else as his makeup assistant.

Spencer…I could see a lot of forest Pokémon that I never got to see. That narrows down to Spencer and Anabel, and Anabel…I…cannot…see any fault. She's exceptional, cool to talk with and really powerful. Unlike any other girl I met she's really well-mannered and her empathic abilities are awesome…."

So, it will be a choice between seeing a lot of Pokémon in the forest and living with Anabel. I thought for a few seconds. What am I thinking?Anabel of course. She's…she's almost…too…good, too good that I don't have to consider anyone else…at all.

"Anabel" I fist pumped. Scott burst out laughing.

"Yeah!" Greta and Tucker cheered, and broke out into fits of laughter. "Aww…" the others looked crest fallen. Ash looked confused…but not as much confused as Anabel was.

"Guy's what's happening?" she asked the others.

Scott was the one to reply, "You see…(laughing)…they had a bet" he said in the midst of laughing. "Tucker and Greta had a bet against the others, that if given the chance you'd select Anabel as your trainer."

Anabel glared at Tucker and Greta suppressing her furious blush which was clearly visible.

"You people actually bet on me?" I said in disbelief.

Tucker and Greta burst out laughing.

"You cheated," protested Lucy, looking at Greta, "You already knew that something was up between Ash and An…"

"Shut up Lucy!" Anabel exclaimed in embarrassment looking back and forth between her and Ash.

"Aww…Anabel" Noland teased.

"Why didn't you tell me Anabel?" Brandon asked in a serious fatherly tone.

Anabel looked at me with a completely helpless look on her face and utterly flustered cheeks. What was happening here?

Scott stopped laughing and regained his composure, "now back to business, Ash Ketchum will be formally named the eight frontier brain after the training under applicable trainers. His title and battle facility will be announced by the end of his training period of one year. As per the rules, a probationer will undergo a training of six months under each of the brains whom the trainer had failed to defeat in the first attempt.

In this case Ash Ketchum will train for six months each under Anabel and Brandon. Is that okay with you Ash?"

I nodded.

It was excited to train under Anabel, but I didn't know I had to train under Brandon too. That should be interesting…..

Scott continued, "You will be ranked at place three after Brandon and Anabel, for the same reason. So, you'll be the sixth in line for a challenger."

I had several questions in mind. Like what kind of facility I'd get and what my title would be. I still had to tell Pikachu the whole thing. So much happened today that I fell that Pikachu missed a lot. For the next half an hour of the meeting we just had some random talk. I recited a few of my adventures. They occasionally talked about things that I didn't know among themselves.

Anabel didn't talk much in the meeting. But I had a feeling that she kept staring at me the whole time. It was a bit intimidating…but, I got over it soon. Brandon left soon, then Noland had to leave, when a real Articuno, whom I recognized from the battle with Noland, crushed him mecha thinking it was attacking his friend.

Soon everybody left. I too left the building, this time by operating the toilet lift all by myself.

I started heading back to the Pokémon center with absolutely nothing going on in my head. Well, there was just too much to process….

A few seconds later, with a loud buzzing sound came from my behind a red convertible.

"Need a ride…?" Scott opened the door smiling.

"Sure." I smiled.

* * *

Soon, I regretted getting in to his car. There was absolutely nothing to hang on to….nothing! I clutched the underside of my seat as Scott throttled above 80 mph.

Damn!

"Oh, so where's your Pikachu?" He asked.

"Pokémon Centre!" I screamed.

"Are we headed there then?"

My eyes widened. "Yeah! Where the heck were you taking me then?"

"Just a Joyride…."

I face palmed.

A few hours later…..

We drove a long route to the Pokémon center scaring away all the pedestrians as we did. I lay on the seat with my head hug along the car window. My face turned green as I lay sick on the door…

"You enjoyed the view of the city?" He asked, in his ever casual tone.

I nodded.

What the heck did he wanted to show me in a city of my own region? I was on the verge of puking. Note to self, never accept his offer for a ride. He revved the engine further up. I didn't care. I just hoped that the Pokémon center was nearby.

Sigh.

When we were just a street away from the Pokémon center a loud boom from somewhere made Scott slam the braked hard. I would've slammed my head on the dash if it were not for my habit of having the seatbelt on. The car came to a sudden halt.

We jumped out of the car to see what was goin on.

The sound of something rumbling tilted our heads up. "Whaaa!" a screech escaped my mouth. A huge chunk of debris was just falling down from the twenty five floor building right on top of us. Scott was quick to act. He pulled me by my arm into the car and reversed at the maximum speed.

We escaped by a hairline. I could see the grey dust all over the windshield.

Gaining back my senses I looked at what was happening. A huge Dragonair drilled out of the building bringing down with it few more chunks of debris. A hyper beam escaped it's mouth and severed through a floor bringing down the upper levels down.

Before the Dragonite let out another hyper beam, it was blasted up into the sky several feet by another hyper beam from the ground. The hyperbeam was followed by another tremendous flamethrower which resisted a retaliatory hyper beam from the Dragonair.

The dragon snake's eyes turned blue, and the weather changed.

"Rainy day," I said.

"What?" Scott said out in amazed tone.

"That Dragonair is using rainy day to weaken Arcanine."

Scott looked down, to see the Arcanine steam up and look really angry. It fell on its knees. An officer Jenny rushed by its side. "Get up girl, you can do it! Use extreme speed!"

The Arcanine stood up with a struggle and dashed past Jenny. The pedestrians who took a shelter under the other buildings cringed to their garments as Arcanine circled round the building at supersonic. The wind around it took up the rain and started a twister, which engulfed the Dragonair. With an increase in speed the Twister took off from the ground and blasted Dragonair away.

The frightened Dragonair then took off in a direction…

The sky soon cleared up and the situation returned to normalcy…or that's what we thought.

"Bring in the fire brigade!" Officer Jenny commandeered to one of her assistants.

"Come on people, get out of here, the place is too dangerous. Men clear the area for rescue teams." She ordered through the loud speaker.

True indeed. Engulfed in the action of the battle I almost forgot about the damaged building. It wasn't the weekend, so the building must've been full. The building was slowly crumbling from the top and screams of occupants was clearly audible. Several floors of the buildings we're already on fire. The fire blocked many occupants on the upper floors from escaping.

Jenny tapped her feet and looked at her watch as she waited for the fire brigade to come.

"Ma'am, the fire brigade is stuck in the traffic." A policeman came up to Jenny and reported. "They report the possibility of an hour of delay."

She looked horrified for a second and then looked at the building helplessly. "Nothing will be left for us to save after an hour!"

She looked at the twenty to twenty five police men around and then at the Arcanine which stood beside her awaiting orders. "I'm goin in…" she said

"But that's suicidal!" A policeman said.

Scott and I stood several feet from the action near our car, which was completely drenched inside out. Scott looked at me, and I looked back at him.

"Ash, it's a good time to show what you've got," he said.

My eyes widened a little. I looked at the building, and saw a few jump from it and collapse into the debris. It wasn't just some small house on fire. It was a damn building, and I didn't even have Pikachu or Sceptile with me!

"I don't know what to do! Running into the building will kill us all, and it's a damn twenty five floors high. Some of my Pokémon are still back at the Pokémon center!"

He tugged my collar. "Ash, you don't need Pokémon to use your Brain. You what you've got!"

"What! But ho.."

"You defeated Brandon and fought of the Brains by using methods that were completely unorthodox. I'm not asking you to save them. Use that wicked brain of yours and give them an idea."

I jolted off his grip, and looked down.

"ASH!"

I looked at him closing my ears with my fingers. "Stop yelling Scott, I'm thinking!"

"Good"

I looked at the building for a few moments. It's outer walls were on the verge of collapsing. The only part it that was good was it's center. Even on the top where the uppermost floors collapsed the central structure was still good. In most of the building I knew, there was an elevator shaft at the center. I took my chances.

I ran up to officer Jenny who was about to get into building.

"I ordered everyone to get out of here!" She barked looking furiously at me. Her men came and held me by my arms to drag me off.

Scott ran up to us and pulling out something from his pocket. "I'm the Battle Frontier Director, Scott Summers, and this is one of my Frontier Brains," Scott said showing his ID to the Jenny. "We're here to help..."

She looked at us. "What can you possibly do?"

Scott looked at me.

"We'll use the elevator..." I was about to say when she yelled at me.

"THAT WAS YOUR PLAN!" she looked outrageous.

Scott Backed off.

"Trust me!" I said. "I need your Arcanine's help."

She huffed. Arcanine nodded.

We rushed to the centre of the building where I thought he elevator was. The ground floor door was jammed. "Melt the doors with flame thrower!" I said looking at jenny and Arcanine. Jenny nodded and Arcanine took a few moments to melt the metallic door down. Then I peeped upwards through the lift column. The fire hadn't reached there, cuz the doors to the elevator shaft on all the floors was closed by default. "Fireblast on the elevator lobby!"

Arcanine let out a fire blast and we jumped out of the place. A loud boom was heard somewhere and a few seconds later a huge metallic object thrashed down on the ground floor. Jenny and her men helped remove the debris. I looked at the insides of the column. The lift wire was intact.

"Totodile, Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

"Cro-cro" The water type came and started dancing. Bulbasaur looked at the crocodile with a stern gaze.

I looked at Jenny and her men. "Okay, listen here's the plan…"

* * *

"Ready Totodile?" I looked at the water type.

"Cro-cro" it started dancing again. I face palmed.

I looked at the police man, who was holding a emergency elevator door lever. Totodile and I were at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Bulbasaur was at the shaft's ground floor entrance. His vines were wrapped around a police man. "Sir, are you sure about this?" the man asked trembling.

"Stop trembling like a kid," I said lightly, "Totodile has an excellent ability to manipulate water. He will lift you up to a floor and you enter it by using that lever" I said.

Bulbasaur threw the man above Totodile and Totodile happily lifted the man with a sprout of water to the top most floor. The cop screamed all over the jump. He entered on the opening at the topmost floor. He then used his growlithe to gather survivors on that floor near the elevator door.

"You're next," I said looking at the next cop. The man over thirties gulped. Bulbasaur then threw him over Totodile. Soon all the floors were occupied by a cop each, who followed the same process as the first cop.

Each of then carried a transmitter. Jenny spoke through hers, "Are you ready men?"

Numerous replies came downward, confirming their positions. Jenny looked at me, "Let's hope this works Ketchum," she said looking at me with hopeful eyes. "Throw them down!" she yelled.

"Get ready Toto!" I warned.

Totodile started a sprout of water that resembled a slide. Screams of peopled echoed through the shaft as they came sliding down the elevator shaft over Totodile water gun. Bulbasaur stopped their fall and placed them outside the building with it's vines. It was a full twenty minutes exercise before everyone trapped was removed.

Suddenly a blast echoed through the elevator shaft. It seemed to have happened on the top most floor somewhere.

"Contact report!" Jenny yelled from her transmitter.

"Seventeen floor," came a voice back from the transmitter, "That beast….it's **back!**"

Scott ran outside, "I can see it!" he yelled looking up to the sky. "It's attacking again! But it's…"

"Totodile, Bulbasaur! and you, two get the policemen down!" Jenny ordered looking at me, "I'll take care of that Dragonair!"

I nodded.

* * *

"It's a Dragonite this time!" Scott yelled.

"Where the hell do they keep coming from?" Jenny pulled her poke ball out, "This is gonna be difficult this time, Arcanine go!"

The fire type materialized and tried the same trick again, except there was no rain this time. The wind fed twister, not so powerful hit the Dragonite and did as much damage as a fly could to a dragon. Added to that, Dragonite seemed to have enraged from it. He shook off the twister and through the wind sent out another powerful hyper beam directed at Arcanine.

Arcanine struggled to get up from the ground.

That seemed to have enraged Dragonite as it dived in and lifted Arcanine high up into the air. It then skyrocketed to a dangerous height. It then threw the fire type to the ground for a seismic toss. The canine barked as it hit several times on the ground and finally hit her torso to a pillar.

The fire type winced in pain as it was hit head on by a series of continuous hyper beam. She got up from the ground and fired a flamethrower at the orange dragon. Dragonite deflected the flamethrower as if it was nothing and nailed Arcanine to the ground with a dragon breath. The dragon type attack had a heavy toll on the fire type. She collapsed to the ground.

The wailing of the Arcanine rushed me out of my task. I rushed out with Totodile, Bulbasaur and the other policemen who had got down.

Jenny was knelt down by the side of her Arcanine, who seemed to be fainted on the ground. Trickles of blood could be seen from under its belly which was charred black from the dragon's attacks. Looking up in the sky I noticed the Dragonite prepare a humongous green orb in its mouth.

"Dragon Pulse! Hide!" Yelled Scott.

Dragon pulse besides Draco Meteor was known to be one of the most powerful of the dragon type moves, and seeing it come from a dragon of that magnitude of power was a near nightmare. The policemen hid behind their patrol cars. Scott was behind his convertible, and I was behind a wall. To my horror Jenny was still knelt by her Arcanine's side. Arcanine was down on the ground with her mouth open and torso bleeding.

"Jenny, return Arcanine and hide," I yelled. She still seemed to be in a shock from her Arcanine's injury, as I saw her make no move. But she seemed to have heard me…at least partially for she pulled out Arcanine's poke ball. But, to my horror, she crushed it into pieces with her bare hands, and fell over her canine weeping.

My mind darkened as I realized what had happened to Arcanine. My thoughts stopped and my mind blanked out.

I looked as Dragonite unleashed the beefed up Dragon Pulse. The orb pulsated from excessive internal energy. The orb exited Dragonite's orange body and raced in the direction of Jenny. In her state of despair she hadn't the slightest sense about it. My limbs acted on their own and I found myself running up and standing between her and the attack. My arms spread and I waited wincing inwardly, for the deathly moment to occur.

Thoughts of Pikachu and my Pokémon passed in my head as I realized how much I'd miss them. The sky shone green, and I braced myself for the attack to come…

* * *

_(Vegeta growls)_

**Vegeta**: Cliffhanger! I'll kill you this time. (runs towards me.)

**Skywa1ker**: (pulling out light saber) Then let's duel.

_(Vegeta and Skywa1ker fighting) _

_(Bulma comes in and hits Vegeta with a frying pan. Vegeta yelps, holds his head and withers in pain dramatically.)_

**Bulma**: Leave the writer alone, or you'll sleep alone tonight (Vegeta pretends dead). (Bulma looks at me), and you, get off your lazy ass and get back to work and write the next chapter, else I'll bring back Dart Vader using my time machine.

_(Skywa1ker runs off)_

* * *

**A/N-** Finally, woosh (wiping sweat off my forehead and sighing), completed the chapter. It's almost three weeks since I last posted. I fought off my guilt and remembered my principles.

Now tell me something about this chapter.

BTW those dragon weren't Lance's.

There was this scene in the chapter where Anabel kept staring at Ash, it was because she was seeing him after a long time, a very long time, and had a lot of things going on in her head. This thing happens after Sinnoh or Unova or whatever. But, Anabel staring, do you think it's inappropriate.

and Ash uses, the phrases 'heck' others uses what the hell, what the fuck….should I stop that or am I at the liberty to use them?

Do you want me to skip the training part?

In this chapter, unlike the last, I managed to add a lot of detailing to get you people imagine the scenes. Is the detailing sufficient, or do you want me to increase or decrease it. If so, state some examples. You know, English ain't my first lang, and that's a little troublesome to me.

Besides constructive criticism, I'd like to hear any suggestions too. I know may people imagine things about Ash, but are not able to put it on the paper for intangible reasons. I'd like to help you in that department. I could implement some of your ideas if you want…

Your _**Skywa1ker**_

Signing off

C===((-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-


	3. She's back!

**She's back!**

* * *

**Vegeta**: Hello, my dear readers, before mister Blabbermouth actually starts I wanted to ask you something. When do you people actually want him to update in the weekends. Sunday? Saturday? Or when? Pls don't forget to answer at the end of the chapter...

Here he comes...

**Skywa1ker**: Good morning Vegeta, you're early.

**Vegeta**: (scoffs) not everyone is always as late as you are kid.

**S****kywa1ker**: Let's get on with the story. Oh, before that I'd like you to tell me when I should post-

**Vegeta**: (frowns) I already asked them that.

**Skywa1ker**: (looks surprised) Thanks Vegeta...I guess. Now the chapter.

* * *

The Dragonpulse shone green in my eyes as it coursed for us...all that in a second. And, then all of a sudden a huge explosion...and the...darkness.

The pulse didn't reach me at all. A loud roar echoed, but it didn't belong to the Dragonite.

I slowly opened my eyes. Before me was a Dragon like looking beast with it's arms stretched in front of it's body and it's claws shocking from blocking the impact from the dragon pulse. My eyes widened as I recognised who it was...I ran up to him and hugged his back. "Thank you Charizard!"

"Graw.." He nodded and turned back to face the raging dragonite.

Dragonite floated in the air, a bruised murder look in it's calm but fiery eyes. Eyes suddenly flashing, roaring with arrogance it expressed it dis contempt for Charizard.

Charizard, the one for his arrogance didn't see a danger coming up when he provoked the Dragon by responding to it's actions with a snort of his own. Dragonite looked venomously at my old friend. Charizard closed his eyes and looked away.

And then...Dragonite pounce for us from high above its position readying a hyper beam in its mouth...I panicked.

Charizard waited for last minute and then suddenly when Dragonite was in good range he blew out dark smoke through his nostrils and mouth. The smoke and ash spread with unusual speed into the air and effectively camouflaged us from Dragonite.

Without losing the position of Dragonite in smoke, Charizard fired a thunderous Dragon breath at the Dragonite's last seem spot. It hit...I could tell that from the wailing of the beast from behind the smoke. The fire type had specifically used a dragon type attack as it was super effective on a dragon type.

His training at Charisific Valley seems to have paid off...more than I expected. He was now making his own logical and cunning moves. Something, I never expected from an arrogant and hot headed pokemon of his type. But, how and why was here, all so sudden. How did he land to rescue in such a precise moment.

I had no answers...

Charizard then jumped into the smoke towards the wailing sound and leapt onto the Dragon type with a dragon claw. It sure hurt the Dragonite, picking up from increased groans. Nothing less I expected from two close range super effective moves. Charizard, with its right claws buried into Dragonite's gut, pulled out of the smoke and flew into the sky.

I realised what it was up to...and I regretted.

"Seismic toss...that should do it!" Scott yelled as he came running beside me.

"NO! Charizard!" I yelled.

"What?!" Scott looked at me.

"Dragonite is still capable...of attacking. A seismic toss at this point..." I was late.

Mid air. Dragonite easily recovered and in a sudden move punched into Charizard's gut with a Thunder Punch. Charizard lost grab of dragonite and clutch it's torso in agony. Dragonite got hold of his tail and with two swirls in the air he used a seismic toss on Dragonite my throwing him down to the ground with full force.

Charizard slammed into the ground, making a large crater. The debris from it flew all over making us cough. "Charizard! Get up!" I yelled as I saw Dragonite prepare another disastrous Dragon Pulse attack.

Charizard struggled to do so and was on his knees when his managed to regain his senses. His eyes widened as another Dragon Pulse was in the making. The sky turned greener and greener with every second of powering up of the attack.

Before I though everything was over...I heard a whistle...a plain whistle...a long whistle. Dragonite dissipated the attack in one go and all it's rage cleared. Then a figure clad in hood flew out of the topmost floor of the crumbling building riding atop his Dragonair. The same Dragonair that we saw earlier.

The dragonite lifted off and flew away with the alongside his masted. Finally, leaving us alone...

The identity of the mysterious person left uncovered, except for a white and red rimmed shoe on his left leg which I noticed from his position on the Dragonair.

* * *

Jenny sat there on the couch, swimming in her thoughts of despair, while all her eyes stay fixed on the egg that sat on the table before her. It was an egg that the old Arcanine had given to her, just a week ago...she said. A growlithe egg, which was currently under Joy's care. An over protective Chansey cleaned it every now and..she was it's temporary care taker.

It was late night and Jenny, still in her duty uniform, sat carelessly with her leg on the other couch of the pokemon centre and arm spread on the head rest of the couch she sat on. One had to admire her courage as she sat like that before her senior chief, who was standing in front of her, a stern gaze directed at the female cop.

A junior cop stood, an assistant of Jenny's stood behind her couch, sweating fear on his face as his eyes moved back and forth between senior chief and her bossy Jenny.

Chief's serious look wasn't attributed to her manners though...

"Officer Jenny," he started, she didn't care to look at him "this isn't the time for you to sulk. I don't expect that from you. You are a detective, and a good one at that." he mused, "No one has ever managed to locate Mr. Drag till now as you did. I know that you and that Arcanine were partners for so long. I just hope that it doesn't effect your disposition and methods of working."

Jenny looked at him for a second. She grumbled and got up from her seat. In a daring move, she held the collar of her chief, "Look into my eye, look deep!" she said in a whisper, "If he's a killer, so am I. I will avenge my Arcanine's death. No matter what happens I'll track him down and put a bullet between his eyes, and my Arcanine will meet him in hell."

She then let go of him, "and never question about my disposition."

The chief looked content, "Ya know Annie, after five years of your service in the force, I feel I did a good thing convincing that you become a cop. It's good that you're on our side."

"Whatever..." she turned away. "You still get the fame and name for the crimes I bust."

"and you don't protest..." chief said, more in a tone of question than a statement.

"I hate your little fandom, so you can assume I'd hate it even more if I had my own."

Chief walked towards the door of the Pokemon centre which slid open. "good luck"

Jenny didn't bother to look. He got into the patrol car, whose door was held open by a constable. Then the whole convoy of senior chief's cars sped away. Jenny sat back on the couch and then looked at the scared to shit assistant of hers. "You can leave with them, I don't need an assistant."

"Okay, ma'am" he stammered and ran out of the pokemon centre.

In the nightly hours, I was the only one who witnessed the whole thing. Scott had dropped me at the pokemon centre and left. Joy was sleeping on her desk at the reception table. I just stood there at a distance from officer Jenny. She removed her black shoes and placed them on the table. Then I saw her peeling the knee high socks and exposing her tired skin.

She suddenly looked at me. Her eyes scanned me from top to bottom. Then she looked into my eyes stopping in the midst of removing her socks. I walked up to her slowly. She looked away from me, removed both of her socks and tossed them aside. Chansey glared at her and removed both the socks and shoes and took them to wash room leaving both of us alone, with the egg.

She got up and signalled me to follow in. I picked up the unattended egg and followed her into her room.

"Ash Ketchum, is it?" she asked in a stern tone as she took off her uniform turning he back to me. Looking her just in her inner whites I stammered. "Yah"

"Thanks for saving me, back there," she said and then added, "But, I could've managed by myself."

"Sure," I said smiling. "You're a cop."

She looked at me, understanding that I said in a sense that meant different that it should. She smirked at me. Pulling out a few night clothes from her bag she started putting them on. I never saw a lady dress up like that so openly in front of a guy. I mean I never saw Iris, Dawn, May or Misty show up in just inner wear.

What kind of woman was she?

"Where are you headed to?" she asked.

"Thojo Falls. I said. I need to meet up with Anabel" I said. I got comfortable when she finished putting on her night dress. She pulled out her pistol, checked it's magazine and put it under her pillow. I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a detective and I prefer to work extrajudiacially...if you know what that means. I have many enemies."

I nodded in understanding.

"Do you have a room to sleep tonight?"

"I-" I didn't. Joy was too tired from nursing the egg, that she went asleep before I could even ask her for a room. "-Don't"

"You can share mine."

"I'd rather not..." I said reaching the door to leave the room.

"She closed the door. It's the least I can do, for saving my life." she said. "Besides, what kind of guy refuses to share a room with a gal?" she said in a seductive tone.

"I-"

She waited for my answer. I had no problem. Besides I feel that she's just being normal. She got into the bed and I set an alarm in my watch and fell on the couch. "This bed in large enough for two" she said in the same seductive tone from under her sheets. "or are you just afraid?"

I never liked to hear someone say that I was afraid, "It's improper, Annie." I said using her first name to stress. Well she was just twenty three. Four years elder, so I had no problem using her first name.

* * *

_The next day..._

I Woke up late. Sunlight fell on my face and I inwardly cursed my watch for not waking me up early.

"You're finally up," Jenny said, fully dressed in her uniform. I groggily looked at her. She was packing her blue travel bag. She shouldered her bag and walked out, "I'm leaving for Celadon. Found, Drag was meeting up with someone...someone one one the outskirts of the city." she said, and then looked at me, "You wanted to go to Thojo, which I guess is somewhere near Celadon...so, you wanna have a ride?"

"Sure," I got up and hastily packed up my stuff, "that'd be a great help."

"Pika Pika. Pikapi" Pikachu greeted me in the pokemon lobby.

After I got my pokemon from Joy, we left the pokemon centre. I had the opportunityto cut short my travel time at the expense of being scared to shit in her motorcycle's side car. I clutched the egg case tightly and I struggled to stay put from the on blowing wind. She throttled to a 100 mph. Pikachu sat comfortably behind me as my body blocked the wind.

She smirked as I sharply caught my cap that managed to take off from my head.

"Ketchum, I think you must join Police"

"No, Thank-you! I still wanna be a pokemon master!" I yelled in the wind.

"What's that?" she asked smirking.

I stayed silent. _Indeed, what did becoming a pokemon master really mean. _I never asked myself that question ever since I started my pokemon journey. _Was it catching all pokemon? Catching all legendary? Or Becoming the champion of a region? Beating all champions? Winning all battles? _

The rest of the journey, I was silent, silently pondering over the topic that just came into light.

Soon we passed through Celadon city. She stopped at the police station. A junior cop saluted her. "Good morning ma'am, Senior chief called me the morning. Said, you'd come. The drone you asked us to engage after the Dragonite and Dragonair tracked them down to forest outside the city. We suspect the presence of Mister Drag"

"You didn't engage him. Did you?" Jenny asked.

"No ma'am. Though we'd come in your way"

She scoffed, "more like you're scared."

The constable looked down.

"I'll get down here then," I said getting out of the side car. She held me by my hand, "Stay! I could your your assistance."

I looked at his with a raised eyebrow, "But, yesterday, I thought you said you needed no assistance."

"Oh, I must've added. 'I didn't need the assistance of fools' But I've seen what you can do. I may need your help. You have a problem with that?"

"No," I said smirking, "I'd like to."

"Pikapi!" Pikachu fist pumped.

"No Pikachu...you're staying at the police station." I said to which the electric type protested. I had to take that decision as I feared for mu Pikachu. His being out of poke ball made him a good target.

After a lot of convincing I left Pikachu with a police station in charge and left.

* * *

She pulled out her GPS and located the drone. We were on foot walking in the forest. "So, who's this Mister Drag?" I asked side stepping a broken branch. She specifically wanted me be as silent as possible.

"Mister Drag," she said, "Is the name we gave to him. His real identity is still unknown as he uses a hoodie to stay covert. He uses dragon types to execute some attacks and crimes. His case has been the longest I've ever dealt. It's been dragging on from a year. So, 'Dragon' and 'Dragging' so I like to call him Mr. Drag. Or just drag."

"What kind of crimes?"

"Extortion, stealing of information, kidnaps, murders," she listed, "He's trying to gather some kind of Archaic data. He's attacked all famous Archaeologist in search of data regarding some old ruins. Well...that's what I gather."

"You know, Brandon is also an Archaeologist. A very famous at that. Doesn't that make him a good target?"

"He wouldn't dare!" she said. "He may be powerful, but if I were him I'd dare not mess with Brandon."

Hearing that made me feel a little small. I defeated Brandon. I know he's powerful, but he's not undefeated. Or was he really that powerful, and was his battle with me all those years ago just a charity to give me victory over Battle Frontier...

My thoughts diminishes as she slowed down a bit. She pulled out her pistol and held it upright over her shoulder. "Ash look over there? Tell me what it is?"

I pulled out her Binoculars and looked at the pointed direction. "looks like some short of dragon skin scale." I said.

We walked there. She said that it might belong to the dragonair as the peel was still moist. We walked further slowly to find a Dragonair and Dragonite resting near a broken tree trunk. We walked in another direction away from the dragons and hid behind a rock.

Near a tent we saw the same figure, clad in a black hood. He walked back and forth cursing at a woman sitting on a rock near by. The woman looked tall and hand a part black and part grey uniform on her. My mind began troubling me as I felt I saw her somewhere. I tried hard to recollect...

"Hunter J" Jenny said.

My mind went black. "J!" I exclaimed. Jenny closed my mouth with her palm.

She then looked at me, "The guy there...you wont believe who he is. He's a legend. I can't believe that he's doing this. Why?...that I don't understand at all!"

I looked really confused now, "Who is that guy?"

"Red."

"Who's Red?"

"He's someone, who if we complain against, in the open,...the world will laugh at us." she said in a grim tone.

"Why?"

"Two reasons. He's Red, and he should be Dead."

Now, I was thoroughly confused. _Who the hell was red? Why was J alive...and what did she mean when she said Red was dead..._

She pulled out a camera, and started taking pictures of the two conversing. "We need to collect some serious evidence," said, "only then will the world believe us." She took as many pictures as she could. We then went closer, hiding behind bushes and trees.

I tapped on her shoulder, "Why are we hiding?"

She looked at me frowning, "are you mad. One of them is the ex-world champion who's supposed to be dead and the other is a ruthless criminal and they are working together. Do you really think that we're gonna stand a chance against them?"

"But-"

"Ash, learn this. Being brave is a good thing, but being foolish is not. Brave and foolishness are two different things. We will not attack them when they are together! You understand?!"

"Yes ma'am"

"You can call me by my name..."

"What?" I asked, unable to hear what she said.

"Call me Annie," she said, slightly blushing. I shrugged.

Her Grip on her pistol and my grip on Sceptile's pokeball tightened. It was my first covert operation. In a thick jungle, keeping an eye on two criminals and being at a ready to take them down. It felt damn good. We moved closer and closer and I was ready to pounce on J. She gritting on that so called Red.

She pulled out a Bionic hearing device and pointed the parabolic antenna at the pair. She gave the right plug to me and inserted the left in her ear. We were able to hear the conversation.

**Red**: I need that ball! You'll everything in your power to capture that archaeologist.

**J**: I already confronted Brandon once. He's too dangerous, with his Regis. Why don't you attack him?

**Red**: (Grr...) Don't question me bitch! I'll have you head chopped off! You'll do as I say!

**J**: Yes Sir.

A faint glow began to occur inside my bag. I pulled the ear phone off my ear and throwing it aside, I reached for my bag. It was the egg. It's was on the verge of cracking. My face grimace, this wasn't the right time. Not the right time at all.

"Ash, what is it?" Jenny looked at me frowning.

"...think it's the egg..."

She looked horrified. "If it barks we're doomed." Let's get out of here. We started to walk away but it was too late. The glow faded and we began to hear light barking sound from the bag. I hastily opened it. I have to tell you. It was the cutest puppy I ever saw. It looked at me happily and wagged it's tail.

It then jumped out of the bag and onto my shoulder. It's tiny eyes fell on Jenny and her pistol. Jenny looked mortified, as the baby growlithe started looking at it suspiciously. It was about to bark and I closed it's mouth with my finger. It bit my finger and jumped onto the ground.

"Grr...whaaw..."

and that was it.

"Who's there!" J's voice echoed past us.

Hearing their voices too, baby growlithe ran past Jenny and blowing its rock cover it started barking at Red and J.

"It must be Annie!" Red said. "That bitch has been tracking me since and Year. Now I get her." Red signalled Dragonite to take position and J released her Salamence.

I pulled out Sceptile's pokeball and was about to throw it when jenny stopped. "Ash stop! Hear me carefully. You will do as I say, got it!" she said in the loudest whisper possible, to make herself clear to me. I could see sweat trickle down from her face and her whole body shiver.

"Annie, come on out now..." Red playfully whistled. "Oh...Annie...come on out...super cop."

Growlithe ran for Red. Red simply kicked it to the bark of a tree. The pup cried in pain and instantly fainted.

She pushed me on to the rock that we were hiding behind. "Listen Ash!" her tone weakened, "They are too powerful! You may be a good trainer, but he's way too dangerous. Stay put here, he doesn't know that you're here with me. When they...when they...finish with me and leave get Growlithe and leave this place immediately! Take this camera...it has all the info."

"But-But what about you?!"

She smiled weakly, "Things like these happen in covert ops like these."

"Why don't we run?"

"Trust me...it won't work against them."

She then got up. "It's time that I return what you gave me. You saved my back last time and I'll save yours this time." She pulled me to her face and gave a light peck on my lips...I felt dazed, "Good luck." she pulled my hand and put the hand gun in it.

I felt the coldness of the metal, and that of the situation.

She walked walked out from behind the rock, "so, it's been you all along...Red," said walking up to the pair. "What are you after?"

Red looked visibly shocked. I picked up the sound scope and tried to listen in to the conversation.

"So, you know who I am..." Red mused and took off his cover.

He looked rather young. Just a few years elder to Jenny. Looking a little close he resembled someone I knew.

Jenny spoke, "Surrender!"

Red smirked and pulled her closer, "I can surrender to a beauty like you...Annie," he said, "How can a girl be so intelligent?" To this J scoffed. He then held her by her throat and "How dare you come in my way! I let you go several time. I should've killed you yesterday but I didn't. I don't know why... May be it was my fetish for feisty girls..."

Her shoulders shivered in his grip. He looked into his eyes and she looked back into his, "Because, how feisty a girl may be and tomboyish she looks, she's juts a feather hearted lady inside."

He then closed onto her, "and like all the feather hearted girl, even you can feel the **pain**" Jenny winced as she was hit hard into her gut. She clutched her stomached and fell to the ground whimpering in pain. He walked and knelt down to her, and smiling he hit her face with a punch. She fainted.

"Bring that bitch to HQ," he said and sat atop his Dragonite, "I need to interrogate and then you can kill her."

"Right" J said smirking and cracked her knuckles. Red took off.

Without a pause J pointed her freeze gun at Jenny and turned her to a stone. "Interrogate..." she said in a sarcastic tone and was about to stomp on her, and that made me to act. I ran out from behind the stone and threw a stone onto her head. She yelped in pain and fell a few feet away.

Salamence roared and blasted a dragon pulse at me. Dragon pulse, though not that powerful as that of Dragonite, was strong enough to knock me into a near by three. "Ariados! String shot!"

I was tied to a tree trunk with the spider web. "Oh, who do we have here," she said slapping my face. "But, I can't kill you, do you know why?" I didn't care why. I saw an Oddish look at a distance look at me. It looked at little curious, and the next second I saw at the place, it wasn't there.

"When I barely escaped my death in Sinnoh, I lost everything. My clients, my crew, my money and my **rare pokemon**, and the first thing on my mind was to find you and kill you. Unfortunately my 'saviour' Red, didn't fucking want to kill you. Did you know why?"

Then I heard a slash. The slightest and the sharpest slash. The tree trunk cracked vertically into a half, and the web that bound me was torn into bits. J looked horrified.

"Are you okay Ash?" I heard a sweet voice that I recognised from the past. A scyther then took a defensive position in front of us and glared at hunter J.

"Anabel?" I said amused. An Oddish and a peeped from behind her legs. "Thank You."

She blushed a little and nodded. Her face then turned serious as she looked at Hunter J, "How, dare you attack my friend! Scyther use agility and then slash."

It must've been the fastest Scyther I saw till date. It just disappeared and reappeared in front of Salamence who was taken by surprise. I yelped as it slashed twice and a cross appeared on the Salamence's torso that opened a cross like cut who began to bleed slight.

Oddish then turned pink and spat a weird looking liquid on the dragon. The poison drenched Salamence, the poison combined with blood began to react and Salamence Bellowed in pain. "You little...!" J aimed her gun at Anabel.

I felt horrified as I contemplated what would happen to Anabel is that beam hit her. "Sceptile, leaf blade!" I yelled throwing Sceptile's pokeball directly at her. Sceptile materialised in front of her, and the fact that a pokemon reflects it's trainer's emotion was proven true again.

Sceptile bellowed it's signature cry and slashed her arm. The device fell to ground with half her arm.

J cried in pain, "You bastard, I'll kill you! I'll kill you for this!" tears fell out of her eyes as she hastily climbed Salamence and the Dragon type flew her master away as fast as he could. Sceptile stood there panting hard. I didn't know what exactly to say.

I pulled out my handkerchief from my pocket and walked up to him. He looked at me a little scared. I cleaned the blood from the enlarged leaved on his arms and patted the grass type's arm, who was almost twice my height. I just didn't want him to feel bad about chopping off someone's arm.

"Good work Sceptile," I said, "she deserved that."

Sceptile didn't nod. He just uttered his name a little speculatively. "I mean it," I said and looked at Anabel. Who looked back at me reassuringly. She looked at Sceptile, "Thank you Sceptile, you saved my life," Anabel said. I don't know if she said something to him telepathically but he understood the situation and regained his usual mood.

Our eyes then fell on the stone statue of Jenny.

"We need to find a way to get her back to normal" I said to Anabel. "Her name is Annie. A detective officer Jenny."

Anabel nodded, "We can take Noland's help. He's good with electronics. I'll go to him tomorrow and give him the device. He'll can try to reverse engineer the device. Till then we can keep her statue safely at my villa."

"Thanks Anabel!" I said shaking her hand. "You're the best!"

"Uh-no p-problem" she stammered, "s-so how are you?"

"Um-fine" I gave her why do you ask her look, and I think she read it too easily.

"Sorry-It's that, it's been so long that we last met." she said.

"Uh-" It felt a little awkward, "I'm fine. But, how'd you know I was here?"

She was still holding my hand. The moment I look at out hands she hastily pulled back and blushed lightly looking down. Oddish, Oddish! The grass type jumped in glee. "I was going from to the city for some shopping, I wanted to stock up cuz you were coming and all, and suddenly my friends here Oddish and Scyther who live in the forest came running to me and told me what was happening."

she continued, "at first I was shocked to hear that you already reached Thojo. I thought you'd be coming today evening. Then I saw Jenny's bike near here and I understood that she must've dropped you."

"Oh, okay then..." I said rubbing the back of my neck. I rub the back of my neck when I feel a little embarrassed or confused, I didn't know what was happening now.

She released her Metagross, who used psychic to carefully carry Jenny's stone statue. Sceptile and Scyther lead us as they cut the tree cover for Metagross to easily carry Jenny. I was holding the fainted Growlithe in my arms and walking behind Metagross, and Anabel walked behind me with Oddish singing happily sitting on her head.

Charizard carried Jenny's Bike and her belongings by air.

* * *

The walk to Thojo falls was as peaceful as it could get.

First we exited the forest safely and walked by the wide stream. Anabel hummed in rhythm to Oddish's own hums, which mingled with the sound of the stream that made me forget for a few minutes all that I experienced on the past few hours and relaxed my mind.

Sceptile was walking behind Scyther who didn't seem to care for the beauty around and just walked the path.

Soon I could see the 'water fall' at a distance. It wasn't the tallest, but it looked really beautiful. Somewhere along the stream, we turned away from it and walked into a large clearing in the berry trees. The double storied lavender themed villa looked huge. I couldn't believe that she lived alone in such a huge house.

I looked at Anabel who led me into the house and I wondered...what kind of new training was in store for me in the coming six months...

* * *

**Skywa1ker**: I'm gonna take a deep nap after this chapter. Please readers reviewwww and forgive me for the mistakes. I'll find some time to correct me. Just my interest in pokemon and my new resolve to actually finish any project that I start, are driving me. Else...my schedule will kill me...(yaaawwwnn)

ppl tell me when should I update next...I want to know the minimum excusable frequency per month...

**Gohan**: You didn't tell them about the trouble your stupid W520 gave...

**Videl**: Yah, I could've fixed it faster than you could.

**Skywa1ker**: I'm the tech expert here, not you Videl.

**Videl**: (oh, please) A tech expert doesn't spend half a day tinkering the insides of his laptop. If you really used your common sense, you could have uploaded faster.

**Gohan**: Hey, stop bickering with my girlfriend.

**Skywalker**: She started!

**Gohan**: Whatever. Bye, readers. See him the next time if he survives my thrashing.

**Skywalker**

Signing Off


End file.
